Family Portrait
by PrOnGs Da GrEaT
Summary: Can they work it out? Can they be a family? [*Final Chapter Up!!* PLeaz R&R!]
1. Daddy Dont Leave

Heyo! I decided to just take a break from my other fics, and write a songfic type of thing. I'm not sure if this will extend to more than one chapter...............but MAYBE. Anyway......this is a R&R sort of fic.......but it's not one of those 'getting together' thingy's. Anyway.......I hope you enjoy it! (btw, just for the record.......Rachel and Ross are married and have 2 kids.) [Okay, the words of the song are going to be spread out across the whole fic, I hope it's not confusing!!]  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
(we fade in, and we see this big picture of a family. On it we see Ross, Rachel and two little girls[one is about 6 and the other is like 3] and one little boy. They all look so loving and have huge smiles on their faces. We slowly go closer to the smallest girl's face, and when we ONLY see her face, with her huge 'toothless' grin, we fade from the face to another face, of a teenage girl lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, tears rolling down her cheeks. As we get farther up, we can see all of her. She's covering her ears with the pillow and of course, still crying. In the background we can hear yelling, which seemed to be coming right through the walls. She turns to her right side, where her bedside table is. There we see a smaller version of the picture. She reaches out for it and looks at it, trying to now hold back tears. But as she breaks down again, she holds the picture to her heart, and we fade out.)  
  
Girl's voice: (V/O) If somebody asked me to sum up my life in a few words, I wouldn't be able to give that person a right answer. My life has been a series of ups and downs. Its like a roller coaster.........and I cant get out of the cart; it keeps going on and on, up and down, and back up again. I dont really want to put the blame on someone, but I must say that some of this is my older brothers fault. My older brother, Nicky, is 18 years old. He used to be the star player on our schools basketball team, but now he is spending some time in a rehab center. After that he he will be off to boarding school, away from his 'friends'. A while back, Nicky started mixing with the bad groups, and soon ended up drugging himself like crazy. Mom and dad were so disappointed, and for a while all you could hear in this house was Nicky, Dad and mom screaming their heads of at each other. Now it's only mom and dad. I dont really understand why they seem to hate each other so much, but still bare to see each other everyday. But that was none of my business. Nothing is, according to them. I dont think they even know I'm around. You see, when I was about 4 years old, my older sister, Emma caught pneumonia, and a few weeks after battling it, lost the battle. My mom and dad were never the same.  
  
(we fade to another bedroom in the house where we see Rachel, sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands. Ross is standing in the bathroom doorway, staring at her crying, a sad look on his face. He then walks over to her and sits down, putting his arms around her shoulder.)  
  
Ross: (whispers) Look Rachel, I'm sorry okay. I'm really sorry.  
  
Rachel: (shakes his arm off) You dont mean that! God, just get away from me! I hate you!  
  
Ross: Rachel-  
  
Rachel: GO AWAY!  
  
(Ross gets up slowly and walks out the door, looking one more time at the sobbing Rachel)  
  
(we fade to the girl[Melanie's] room. She's just staring up at the ceiling, when she hear footsteps. She turns off the lights and gets under her covers, rubbing the tears away from her eyes. Then, the door opens, casting a line of light across the room. Melanie shut her eyes tightly. Ross walked over to the bed and looked down at Melanie.)  
  
Ross: (whispers) I'm sorry sweetie........I really am. So much is going on.......I dont understand why, but it is. I love you. (he leans down and kisses her head, the he turns around and walks out the door, slowly closing it behind him. We go to Mel's face, and we see silent tears yet again creeping down her face. We slowly fade out.  
  
~~  
  
Momma please stop crying  
  
I cant stand the sound  
  
Your pain is painful  
  
And it's tearing me down.  
  
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed  
  
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said.  
  
You fight about money  
  
About me and my brother  
  
And this I come home to  
  
This is my shelter.........  
  
It aint easy growing up in world war three  
  
Never knowing what love could be  
  
I dont want love to destroy me like it has done my family.  
  
~~  
  
Melanie woke up the next morning, and she could still feel where the tears had poured down her face. Without bothering to change, she just washed her face and made her way downstairs, where she saw her mom and dad sitting silently in the kitchen, sipping their coffee.)  
  
Ross: Morning sweetie.  
  
Melanie: morning dad, morning mom.  
  
Rachel: (mumbles) Morning.  
  
Ross: (smiles at Mel) breakfast?  
  
Melanie: No thanks, I'm not hungry.  
  
Ross: Uh, all right.  
  
Melanie: I'm going over to Maddy's. Bye!  
  
Ross: Uh, say hi to your aunt Monica for me.......!  
  
Melanie: Aiight.  
  
As Mel walked out the front door and started walking down the side walk, she breathed in the fresh air slowly. She didn't really like going over to Maddys, even though Maddy was her best friend. Maddy was actually her cousin, by blood, but Melanie thought of her as more like a sister. But the thing was that Maddy had what Mel dreamed of, and she hated it. A perfect family. Maddy had two sister, and two perfect parents, who practically never fought. All SHE had was a broken family.  
  
~~  
  
As Mel walked home late in the afternoon, she couldn't help but notice the car parked in the driveway. It was Nicky's. Without thinking twice, she began to run. She was so happy........Nicky was home!! But when she entered her house, her smile dropped and all she wanted to do was run back over to Maddy's. It turns out Nicky was definitely NOT expected.  
  
(we can hear voices from the kitchen) (all voices O/S because Maddy is just listening from the hallway)  
  
Rachel: NICKY, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT REHAB! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE!  
  
Nicky: I CAME TO VISIT, IS IT A PROBLEM FOR A SON TO MISS HIS PARENTS?!  
  
Ross: Miss his PARENTS, REALLY?!  
  
Nicky: Well, if YOU'RE not welcoming me here.........then I came to visit MY SISTER!  
  
Rachel: YOUR SISTER IS DEAD!  
  
That brought silence. That stung Melanie's heart.......and she sunk to the floor, only the wall behind her for support. And in an instant, she was sobbing. Her heart, her soul, hurt so badly. She felt like a hundred knifes were stabbing at her, and she couldn't breath. She couldn't move. The words kept echoing in her head 'YOUR SISTER IS DEAD' she heard her mother screaming, over and over again. From the kitchen, yelling resumed.  
  
Ross: Rachel, have you gone MAD?!  
  
Rachel: She's gone Ross.........Emma's GONE!  
  
Ross: yes, I KNOW that! But-  
  
Nicky: I meant MELANIE mom, REMEMBER HER?!  
  
Rachel: My baby.........my poor, poor baby.  
  
She didn't love her. Her own mother didn't love her. Her heart was pounding, oh all she wanted to do was disappear. She hated her life. She hated Emma. She hated Nicky. And she hated her mother.  
  
~~  
  
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?  
  
I promise I'll be better  
  
Mommy, I'll do anything.  
  
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?  
  
I promise I'll be better  
  
Daddy please don't leave.  
  
~~  
  
Nicky: You know what mom, dad. I'M LEAVING!! I cannot believe you guys!! Why dont you stop thinking about yourself's and think about MELANIE! I dont care if you hate ME.....just......just..........Melanie, okay? (and with that he walked out of the kitchen, and when he entered the hall, he saw Mel, and his face fell.) I'm sorry Mel. I shouldn't have come. Take care of yourself, okay kiddo? (and with that, he was gone)  
  
The rest of the evening flew by for Melanie, because after she had fled up the stairs and barricaded herself in her room, she felt safe. Away from life and away from them. She paced around her room, sobbing hysterically, trying not to trip. She could hardly see the floor with all the tears in her eyes, but as she looked around her room she noticed the picture frame. She walked over at it, picked it up and looked down at it.  
  
Melanie: (hisses, talking to Emma) It's all your FAULT! You ruined EVERYTHING!! (yells) EVERYTHING!!!!! (she throws the frame against the wall and it shatters to the floor)  
  
(she stares down at the frame she just threw, and she falls face down onto her bed, sobbing 'I'm sorry!')  
  
(time lapse: few hours later. She hears a door bang and some talking. It's Ross and Rachel. She can hear them walking down the stairs, arguing. She opens her door and listens to them talking downstairs)  
  
Rachel: ross.....you cant do this! Please!  
  
Ross: RACHEL! It has gone TOO FAR! If I could I would bring Melanie....remember her.....with me!!  
  
Rachel: Well, I WOULDN'T LET YOU!  
  
Ross: You dont even know who she IS!  
  
Rachel: She's my DAUGHTER, I gave birth to HER......of COURSE I know who she is!  
  
Ross: Well, she ISN'T DEAD Rachel!  
  
Rachel: I KNOW THAT!  
  
Ross: Oh really, then why did you say she was??  
  
(silence)  
  
Rachel: (sobbing) Look Ross, I'm sorry......but please, you CANT leave!  
  
  
  
  
  
Leave.  
  
  
  
~~  
  
Daddy please stop yelling  
  
I cant stand the sound  
  
Make momma stop crying  
  
Cause I need you around  
  
My momma she loves you  
  
No matter what she says its true  
  
I know that she hurts you but remember I love you too.  
  
I ran away today  
  
Ran from the noise  
  
Just ran away  
  
Dont wanna go back to that place  
  
But I dont have a choice, no way  
  
It aint easy growing up in world war three  
  
Never knowing what love could be  
  
I dont want love to destroy me like it did my family......  
  
~~  
  
The word 'leave' pierced Mel's heart, and she ran out the door and clung onto the railing where you could look down onto the entrance hall. She watched, crouched down in silence as Ross and Rachel stared at each other.  
  
Ross: (whispers) I'm sorry Rachel. I'm sorry for EVERYTHING. But enough is enough.  
  
(Rachel looks down at the floor and Ross begins to turn around)  
  
Rachel: Ross, please! We can work this out?  
  
Ross: Yes, maybe we could. But it will come up again.......and again. Until we both kill each other! I cant take it anymore!  
  
Rachel: Well, neither can I Ross, but I am TRYING! I WANT to try! I love you, Ross!  
  
(Ross looks away)  
  
Ross: (shakes his head) I'm sorry. (he this time turns around fully and walks towards the door, leaving Rachel sobbing behind him. He opens the door and looks back around the house. He notices Melanie upstairs and looks down. He blows her a kiss and walks out the door, leaving a sobbing Rachel and a teary eyed Melanie.)  
  
(without thinking, Melanie stood up and ran. Down the stairs, past her mom and out the door. She ran to the car that was backing up the driveway. She ran right to the drivers window, and sobbing, banged on the window. The door opens and Ross stepped out, looking down at her. Melanie, sobbing, grabs hold of him and hugs him tight. He hugs her back, tears threatening to fall.)  
  
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?  
  
I promise I'll be better  
  
Mommy I'll do anything  
  
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?  
  
I promise I'll be better  
  
Daddy please dont leave.....  
  
In our family portrait, we look pretty happy  
  
Lets play pretend, and act like it comes naturally......  
  
~~  
  
(she breaks the hug)  
  
Melanie: Daddy....dont leave! Please....I love you! I NEED you!  
  
Ross: honey, I dont have a choice!  
  
Melanie: Please.......PLEASE?!!  
  
Ross: I'm sorry. This has to end......and it has to end now.  
  
Melanie: then take me with you!  
  
Ross: (looks up at the house) No. You have to stay with your mother.  
  
Melanie: She doesn't even know I'm ALIVE!  
  
Ross: Look, what ever she thinks......but you KNOW she loves you....and you love her too!  
  
Melanie: I love YOU! I want to go with You! (yells/sobs) PLEASE?!  
  
~~  
  
(in the background, song plays)  
  
I dont wanna have to split the holidays  
  
I dont want two addresses  
  
I dont want a step brother anyway  
  
And I dont want my mommy to have to change her last name......  
  
~~  
  
(Ross shakes his head slowly and gets back in the car. Melanie stands there crying, staring at him. Then her sad face turns into anger, and she glares at him as he pulls down the drive way.)  
  
melanie: ( as she starts yelling, and then sobbing only, the song starts up in the background) I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOU!!  
  
  
  
In our family portrait  
  
We look pretty happy  
  
We look pretty normal  
  
Lets go back to that  
  
IN our family portrait  
  
We look pretty happy  
  
Lets play pretend, act like it comes naturally.....(X3)  
  
If she had known that was the last time she would have seen him, she wasn't sure if she would have said that. But at the moment........it had been true. They were now, completely, a broken family. And that was how...............her story ended.  
  
(we go to Mel's face, and she's staring after where the car went)  
  
Melanie: Goodbye daddy......  
  
(with that she began to walk.....not to her house, but to Monica's. She didn't belong at this house.....she thought....she KNEW.)  
  
melanie: I'm sorry for doing this mom. But I know you dont love me. You're all about Emma. And I'm sorry I'm not Emma. I'm sorry you hated me.....I'm sorry that I was the one that didn't die. (whispers) (looks back in the direction Ross drove off) but you took my shining star.......  
  
(with that, we slowly zoom away, getting farther and farther from the walking figure off Melanie.)  
  
Dont leave, dont leave, daddy dont leave....turn around please....  
  
I remember that night you left.....  
  
You took my shining star....  
  
Daddy dont leave....daddy dont leave....dont leave me here alone.....  
  
I will be nicer  
  
I'll be so much better  
  
I'll tell my brother  
  
I wont spill the milk at dinner....  
  
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right  
  
  
  
(FADES OUT COMPLETELY)  
  
I'll be your little girl forever.....I'll go to sleep at night.....  
  
~~~~  
  
:.:.:.THE END::.:.:.  
  
Phew, that was long.....but I'm done! I hope you liked it! I know it was sad, but oh well. I was crying while writing, hehe. Sorry for the sad ending. Ah well...please REVIEW and make me HAPPY!! It's been a bad day. Thanx for reading....bye guys! 


	2. The Letter

I decided to be a very very nice person and write a continuation for y'all since you gave me such kind reviews!!! *smile* They were GREAT! Thank you so so so so much! Btw, I forgot to mention this before as a disclaimer....the song "FAMILY PORTRAIT" was sang by Pink. Anyway.......here goes! I hope you guys enjoy it!!  
  
[Answers to some reviews: Yes, Rachel would NEVER forget her own daughter......sorrz. Just a fic! But, my mistake! Also, I think it's a great song, but I respect your opinion! Thanks for reviewing anyway!! Oh yeah, when I made Melanie say that she thought her mom hated her and stuff......that was just her thoughts.....I know Rachel would always love her, but its just what Melanie was thinking at that moment. Thanx.]  
  
Disclaimer: [this time I didn't forget!!] I used another PINK song in this, but only a few words. Also, I do not own Ross, Rachel, and the rest of the friends. I own Melanie and the rest of the 'kids'.  
  
~Family Portrait~ Chap. 2  
  
[~*3 Years Later*~]  
  
Melanie lay in her bed, books all around her, studying for a math test. It had always been her weak point, and she needed a lot of studying. It had been three years since her father had left, and since he'd been gone, she hadn't been the same. She loved her mom, she truly did, but it wasn't the same without her dad. Deciding to take a little break, she twisted around and reached out to turn on the radio. Her favourite song had been on, but it was slowly fading. Then, a slow beat filled the room, and Melanie felt depressed. She looked down at the scribbled math equations in her notebook, and shook her head. How she hated math! She sat there for another 2 minutes or so, but then the words used in the song caught her ears. A singer out there was feeling HER pain......the pain she had been feeling for 3 whole years........she was singing of her pain, and Melanie suddenly felt her eyes water up. But she didn't cry........she couldn't cry. She had tried to get over it......tried to forget all about it, and she wasn't about to give up for some stupid song. But before she went back to her studies, she looked out the window and once again pondered over a thought she was still trying to find out........... 'Where was her father?'  
  
(as we leave the room and slowly go out the window, we can hear the song get louder, and we hear some of the main words that made her 'think')  
  
I can remember the very first day I cried  
  
How I wiped my eyes and buried the pain inside  
  
All of my memories  
  
Good and bad; have past  
  
I didn't even take the time to realise  
  
I'm staring at the cracks in the walls  
  
Coz I'm waiting for it all to come to an end  
  
Still I curl up under the bed  
  
Coz it's taking over my head......  
  
All over again.  
  
~~  
  
The next day, a typical Saturday morning, Melanie walked over to Maddy's house, which had been her daily Saturday routine since, like forever. When she arrived at their house a few doors down, she saw some mail sticking out of their mail box, so she decided to bring it in for them. As she slowly made her way up to the front door, she noticed one letter which return address only said 'Los Angeles' curious, but knowing she shouldn't be doing what she was, she took the letter out from the bottom of the pile and read the address. IN an instant, everything came back to her. It was her father's hand writing. She sat down on the front door steps and slowly opened the letter. It was so unfair. Maddy had a perfect family, a perfect life, AND now she also had MELANIE'S father, who had not been in touch at ALL with her, sending letters to them. Suddenly the front door opened and Chandler walked out. [Melanie takes the letter and sits on it]  
  
Chandler: Melanie?! What are you doing outside?  
  
Melanie: uuhh......nothing, just taking in the, uh, fresh air!! Um, I got your mail for you! (she hands him the pile)  
  
Chandler: Uh thanks.....now I dont have to walk over there. (looks down at her and looks worried. He closes the front door and sits down beside her) What's up Mel? What happened?  
  
Melanie: (looks away, trying to keep the tears in) Nothing....nothing is wrong! Why would you think that??  
  
Chandler: Melllll......  
  
Melanie: Nothing's wrong, okay?? I just felt like sitting out here for a while!!  
  
Chandler: Okay then! Come in when ever you want! Sorry for bothering you!! Sheesh.  
  
(he stands up and is about to open the door when Mel spins around, her eyes brimming)  
  
Melanie: how long??  
  
Chandler: (confused) Uh, what?  
  
Melanie: how long has he been writing to you?! How long Uncle Chandler?!  
  
Chandler: I have no clue what you're talking about!  
  
Melanie: MY DAD! How long has he been writing you!! (she gets the letter out and hands it to Chandler)  
  
Chandler: (looks at it) I-I-wow, this is the first one!  
  
Melanie: You dont have to lie to me Uncle Chandler......I know my father hates me.....and doesn't bother to write to me........its no problem....none at ALL.  
  
Chandler: Mel, he doesn't hate you!  
  
Melanie: (tears fall) If he doesn't hate me then how come he cant even write at least ONE little letter!? Can you answer that uncle Chandler?! He hates me! it's my fault. When he drove off, I yelled 'I hate you' at him.........  
  
Chandler: Mel, sweetie.......calm down! Come here......(hugs her and she holds on to him tightly) He does NOT hate you......okay? He loves you. Okay?  
  
Melanie: (whispers) Okay...... Cha (fades to later on, in C&M's house's kitchen. We see Monica and Chandler sitting by a table, Chandler is showing Monica the letter.)  
  
Chandler: She thinks that he hates her since he hasn't even bothered to write to her......  
  
Monica: Oh no, no! Ross would never hate her!  
  
Chandler: Thats what I tried TELLING her! (pause, silence) Well, open it!  
  
(Monica slowly opens the letter, she begins to read the letter. After a while, she gets a shocked look and gasps. With that, we fade out.)  
  
(we fade to later that night, Melanie is lying in her bed, curled up in a ball under her covers. She's crying herself to sleep......as we fade out from her slowly, the song plays.)  
  
Oh misery....oh misery.....  
  
Tell me why does my heart make a fool of me  
  
Seems its my destiny  
  
For love to call me misery.....  
  
~~~  
  
TO BE CONTINUED..........  
  
Decided to leave you off there!! Now it's your turn to help!! If you want a nice happy R&R ending, tell me! If you want a sad, depressing ending.....okay! Tell me. I'll do something with all the ideas!! I really hope that you liked this chapter......and the idea. Please review.....means a lot! You guys made my day yesterday!! :) Bye guys! 


	3. Whats Going On?

Heyo! Sorry it took a few days to put this up.....I've been busy with soccer and school. Dude, the game we played yesterday, we lost 12-3!!! Can you believe that?!?! Haha!! LOSERS! But today we won 6-2. Okay, what ever...just felt like sharing. Well, here it is! (thanx for the reviews btw! They helped!)  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
Melanie woke up at about 10pm* from a bad dream. Well, to her it was bad. She wanted her father so much, she missed him so much..........all she wanted was at least to spend one day with him. She had a bad feeling about the letter.........she could tell that what ever was written in it was bad. Death. Marriage. New child.........it could go on and on........but one word scared her the most;  
  
New child.  
  
Replacement.  
  
  
  
She hated thinking of it, but it could be true. After staying awake for a few more minutes, staring up at her dark ceiling, trying to see a family portrait just like the old one they used to have, but two or three new faces on it, and not hers. How she hated it. Just thinking of it was depressing. As she then started drifting off into a dreamless sleep, the phone beside her started ringing.  
  
[*btw, she woke up only at 10pm because remember she had been lying in her bed crying after she came home from Maddy's, so she just fell asleep and slept for the rest of the time]  
  
Melanie picked up the phone, but before she could say anything, she heard her mom's voice from another phone, and her aunt Monica's voice on the other line. Instead of putting it down, she listened on.  
  
Monica: Hey Rach, sorry to call so late but-  
  
Rachel: No, it's okay. I'm just watching TV. What's up?  
  
Monica: Well, uh.........how's Melanie?  
  
Rachel: (confused) Didn't you just see her today?  
  
Monica: ugh, fine. (pause) We got a letter from Ross.  
  
(Melanie held her breath)  
  
Rachel: Uumm.................okay?  
  
Monica: The thing is..........  
  
Rachel: What?  
  
Monica: He's getting married. (silence) Rachel?  
  
(Melanie fell back on her bed, her eyes slowly filling up with tears. Even when Monica and Rachel started talking again, she looked up at the ceiling. Trying to find an image of her dad.............but it wasn't there. That's what hurt the most. Her mind, her soul, was forgetting him. But she didn't want to forget him..........and she definitely did not want him to get married. But as she stared, she suddenly heard something that made her put her ear back to the receiver.)  
  
Monica: (o/s) Anyway, we're going..............and uh, do you think Melanie would like to come?  
  
~~(fades out on Mel's shocked face)~~  
  
(the next day, Melanie comes downstairs, finding her mom in the kitchen. Rachel has her head in her arms)  
  
Melanie: Mom?  
  
(Rachel jumps. She begins to wipe her face, and Melanie knows she's been crying)  
  
Melanie: Look, I'm going over to Maddy's okay?  
  
Rachel: Sweetie? Can I please talk to you first?  
  
Melanie knew it was coming, and she was getting ready for it.  
  
Melanie: Sure mom.  
  
(they both sit down)  
  
Rachel: Um, I dont know how to put this......but, (pause) your dad is getting married.  
  
(melanie tries to look shocked)  
  
Rachel: And, uh..........Aunt Monica is asking if you want to come along?  
  
Melanie: I-I-I really dont know what to say! I-WOW!  
  
Rachel: Just think about it......okay? They leave in 5 days.  
  
Melanie: Uuumm......okay. Bye.  
  
(walks out, leaving Rachel staring after her)  
  
Oh how badly Melanie wanted to scream YES, YES! But something inside her, something weird, was holding her back. She then saw the image of her mother crying again, and she looked confused. What was THAT about? A lot of things around her were just floating around her unanswered, and Melanie lived in a world of confusion.  
  
She didn't want her father to get married. She didn't want to go and meet his new wife...........his new LIFE. But she did want to see HIM. So badly. She decided to go.......to just ignore everything else and concentrate on her father.  
  
But what she didn't know was that something else was ALSO waiting for her in Los Angeles.........something big.  
  
(we fade out as she walks out her front door and outside.)  
  
TO BE CONTINUED..............  
  
Hey, I'm sorry it was short! But I have tons of homework! Sorz...........but the next chapter will be longer. Kay? So, I hope you liked it! Please, if you have time, email me or drop me a little review!! Thanx!! 


	4. Going To Daddy

Heyo guys!! What's up?? I decided to update this one today.......and I decided to accept anonymous reviews!! Hahaha........I just realised it's really annoying to sign in just to say something about a fic. Anyway, here's the next part, and I hope you like it!!  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
As Melanie found her seat in the air-plane along with Maddy, she suddenly felt like not going. She didn't want to go see Los Angeles.....she didn't want to go see her dad's new wife..............but she DID want to see him. She wished he would come home, and this whole nightmare would be over. She had tried to make her mom come along, but she knew that it would have been a miracle if she would have said yes. For the next few hours, Mel kept herself entertained by reading a magazine, and after only two hours in the air, she had read it three times. Every once in a while Maddy glanced over at her, as if expecting her to explode any second. After the one thousandth glance at Melanie, Melanie got pissed.  
  
Melanie: What do you keep looking at me for?!  
  
Maddy: I-I-no reason. I'm jsut, uh, worried about you.  
  
Melanie: Why?  
  
Maddy: Are you sure this is the right thing? I mean-  
  
Melanie: Maddy, he's my father. You dont know how I feel.......you HAVE a father! I haven't seen MY father for like 3 years. This IS the right thing........GET IT??  
  
Maddy: (looks down) I'm sorry. I just, I dont want you to get hurt.  
  
Melanie: (softens up) Maddy, I wanted to go, okay? Dont worry! (pats her on the arm which is resting on the arm rest)  
  
(But as Melanie turned away and looked out the window and at the clouds outside, she wasn't so sure about anything she had just said.)  
  
~~  
  
(time lapse: half an hour)  
  
(Maddy is asleep beside Melanie and Melanie is jsut sitting there reading an inflight magazine. Suddenly a head pops up behind Melanie and Melanie looks up and smiles)  
  
Melanie: Hey sweetie. What are you doing?  
  
Girl: I gotta go pee-pee Melie!  
  
Melanie: Ask your mommy or daddy to take you!  
  
Girl: Nah-ah! You!  
  
Melanie: Okay Grace, okay.  
  
(she stands up and 'meets up' with Grace in the walkway. She takes her hand and they start walking)  
  
(Grace was Monica and Chandler's second daughter. She was five years old.)  
  
(they reach the bathroom stalls and Melanie opens up one of the door)  
  
Melanie: Hop in!  
  
(Grace walks inside then looks back up at Melanie as Melanie is about to close the door)  
  
Melanie: Now just lock it, and you know where the seats are!  
  
Grace: (shakes her head) Nuh-uh!  
  
Melanie: What do you mean 'nuh-uh'?  
  
Grace: Stay with me!  
  
Melanie: Ugh, okay fine. I'll wait out here......now just lock it and go!  
  
Grace: DONT lock!  
  
Melanie: Okay, okay! Fine. Just, close the door and go.  
  
(Grace closes the door and Melanie sighs. Grace was adorable, but she was also very annoying. Melanie stood there for a minute or two until she felt someone touch her arm. She looked to her side and saw Chandler)  
  
Chandler: hey sweetie.....what's up?  
  
Melanie: Nothing.  
  
Chandler: Is Grace STILL in there?  
  
(Melanie nods and watches Chandler as he chuckles. Ever since her father had left, Chandler had practically been her second dad. She respected him a lot and really looked up to him.)  
  
(suddenly the door opened and Grace walked out)  
  
Grace: Mel......I'm scared!  
  
Melanie: (sighs) Of what?  
  
Chandler: The flush....dont worry Mel, I'll do it. (turns to Grace) run along sweetie. Go to mommy. (Grace smiles and runs off to Monica) So, are you nervous?  
  
Melanie: (looks down) Not exactly. I mean, he IS my father isn't he?  
  
Chandler: well yeah........but he's the father that left you.  
  
Melanie: (looks up at him) You think I shouldn't have come?  
  
Chandler: I think it was pretty stupid for Monica to think you should.......but hey, maybe something good will come with it all.  
  
Melanie: You think?  
  
Chandler: I dont know. (pause) Anyway, you go back to your seat, we're landing soon. (makes a weird face) And as for me, I got to go flush a toilet.  
  
(Melanie giggles and begins to walk back to her seat)  
  
~~  
  
(later on, they're about to land. Melanie had fallen asleep and Maddy was shaking her awake)  
  
Maddy: Mel! Wake up, we're here!!  
  
Melanie: (sits up) We're here!?!  
  
Maddy: Yes, so get ready!  
  
Melanie: When did I fall asleep? (confused)  
  
Maddy: Like 15 minutes ago.........  
  
Melanie: Oh. Right.  
  
(a few minutes later, the plane touched down. And as they rolled into their gate, Melanie's heart was beating like crazy. Suddenly, she didn't want to be here at all.)  
  
(she looked out the window, and could already visualise her father standing by the gate, awaiting her arrival. No, not her arrival. He didn't care about her. Or his family. He was getting married.............he was replacing them. Tears threatened to fall, but Melanie would not cry.)  
  
Maddy: mel? Honey.....come on. Get up......get your stuff.  
  
(Mel turned around and wiped her eyes just in case)  
  
Maddy: So sweetie.....Mel, Mel.......dont cry!  
  
Melanie: I'm not crying........  
  
Maddy: Come here........(they hug) Everything is going to be FINE. Okay?  
  
(Melanie nods and we fade out)  
  
~~  
  
(we now go to them getting out of the airplane, and walking into the arriving hall with their luggage and everything)  
  
Monica: I wonder where he is...........?  
  
Voice: Monica! Chandler!  
  
Chandler: There you go! (he's standing beside Melanie with Grace in his arms)  
  
(Melanie looks down, Ross hasn't noticed her yet since she's now behind Monica and Chandler)  
  
Ross: You guys, this is my fiancee Beth and her daughter---(Melanie looks up shocked, and Ross looks shocked too) Melanie?!  
  
A thousand images and thoughts were going through her head that she barely heard what Ross said. She was going to say something.........until a word he had said came back to her and hit her hard.  
  
A daughter.............  
  
She was being replaced.  
  
~~TO BE CONTINUED~~  
  
Hey, I hope you liked that part!! Please review if you've got something nice to say!! Thanks for reading!! Bye 4 now guys!!  
  
~§*Steph*§~ 


	5. He's Not, and He Never Was

Hey everybody!!!!!!!!! I'm in a very very good mood today since I had this soccer game, and we played this other schools junior varsity team, and we were all freaked out, and everybody was like 'they're so good!! You're gonna loose sooo bad!!!!' well HA! We beat them 6-2 baby!!! Heehee. Yes that's me, obsessive. Of soccer that is. Anyway, thanks for all the kind reviews.........and while I'm writing this I'm trying to figure out what story I'm exactly continuing here.......ah, okay. Here goes: [btw, I'm sorry if this is a bit short, I had lotsa math HW, and its pretty late now.....but I was in a good mood and I felt like being nice...so yeah.] (ps. I'm sooo happy you all hate his fiancee........thats making it interesting!! Hehe. For me that is.)  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Ross: You guys, this is my fiancee Beth and her daughter---(Melanie looks up shocked, and Ross looks shocked too) Melanie?!  
  
Melanie: Hey.................dad.  
  
Melanie couldn't move; and she didn't think anyone else could too. Maddy was staring at the girl, and everyone else was staring at Ross. Melanie didn't really know WHAT she was staring at, but what ever it was, she didn't really notice, because she was lost in space.  
  
~~  
  
The next few hours past by in what seemed to be a few seconds. And suddenly the whole day had gone by, and Melanie was lying in the bed that she and Maddy were sharing. Maddy was sound asleep beside her as she stared up at the ceiling. She and Ross had only exchanged a few simple words with each other, and Melanie had stayed far away from the girl, Maggie. She sat up slowly and stared at the unfamiliar walls around her. She hated it all. She didn't want to be here...........she shouldn't have gone. She decided to go down for a glass of water because her throat was throbbing for some reason, so she got up slowly and found her way towards the door, where only a little light shown from the bottom. She opened the door quietly, trying not to wake Maddy up. As she descended down the stairs, she heard a TV softly playing in the background. She ignored it and walked into the kitchen. She got some water, and then just stood there for a while, staring at the kitchen she was in. She missed home. She walked over to the glass sliding door leading to the back porch, and saw a swing hanging from a tree. 'Must be little Maggie's' she thought bitterly. Since there was a porch light, and it was pretty bright near the swing, she decided to go and sit on it. She opened the door and walked outside. For early Spring it was pretty chilly, but maybe it was just her. She made her way to the swing, glass still in hand. She sat down on it and stared up at the house. All the windows were dark, and even the living room was. 'Wasn't the TV on?' she thought to herself. That person must have already gone to bed. But suddenly, she saw a shadow of someone standing on the porch and watching her. It was Ross. She looked away as he started walking towards her.  
  
Ross: (standing near her) Mel, what are you doing out here?  
  
Melanie: (whispers) Nothing. I couldn't sleep.  
  
Ross: Oh.......(he looks down) (silence) Sooooo......how have you been? How's your mom?  
  
Melanie: Fine.  
  
Ross: Great.  
  
Melanie: I dont see her very often. (Ross looks down at her and she looks up at him) She's to into her work to care about me.  
  
Ross: Oh no, that's not true. She cares about you...............  
  
Melanie: She might, but you didn't. (That brought a strained silence, and Ross looked hurt and Melanie was sort of shocked with herself) I mean-  
  
Ross: I-uh...............how's Nicky?  
  
Melanie: he's fine. He did very good in school, and he now lives in downtown New York. He's taking a break off his studies for a year or two. (pause) Mom doesn't talk to him either.  
  
Ross: Ah.  
  
(Melanie stared up at Ross and realised that he looked like he didn't even care about what she had said about Nicky.)  
  
Melanie: So, that Maggie chick seems nice..............  
  
(Ross stares at her, and she can tell he's trying to say something about the 'chick' thing, but he decides to leave it)  
  
Ross: yeah, yeah......she's sweet. (pause) Anyway, how is school going? Having fun? With your friends and all?  
  
Melanie: I dont have friends.  
  
Ross: What? That's a lie..........! You're too beautiful not to have friends..............  
  
Melanie: you dont have to tell me that...............  
  
Ross: Any boyfriends?  
  
Melanie: None of your business......  
  
Ross: Yeah it is, I'm your father.  
  
Melanie: (suddenly gettting pissed cause he's trying to get all fathery even though he's not been there for her at all) No, you're NOT! For three years you just disappeared! You know, I KNEW you would do this! Run of and find another family! That's how pathetic you are! You give up so easily!!  
  
Ross: Dont talk to me like that!  
  
Melanie: (raising her voice a little) I can talk to you how ever I want........ROSS! Because you're not my father........anymore!! Because RIGHT when you left that house, you disappeared in my life, and IN MY HEART! Now go back to your little (saying it all sweetly and in a baby voice) Maggie............and just forget about ME! I dont need YOU!  
  
(Melanie gets up and runs over to the porch where she bumps into Chandler. She has tears in her eyes.)  
  
Chandler: Melanie! What's wrong?  
  
Melanie: He's NOT my father! He is NOT! He's replacing me!!  
  
Chandler: Melanie..........  
  
Melanie: Leave me alone!!  
  
(she pushes past Chandler and runs into the house. Chandler looks over at Ross who is sitting on the swing looking at the ground. Chandler slowly walks over to him)  
  
Chandler: Soooo.........  
  
Ross: Dont say anything. (pause) I was just trying to be 'nice'.  
  
Chandler: Ross! You left her THREE years ago, and all you can do is be NICE?! What the hell is wrong with you?  
  
Ross: (shrugs) I dont know what to do Chandler! If you're the expert, why dont YOU tell me?!  
  
Chandler: Hey, dont get mad at ME. I have been there for your daughter for these past three years! I'M the one that dried her tears.........the one she CAME to!  
  
Ross: (looks down) That's the thing. You were the one. It wasn't me.  
  
Chandler: Maybe you should have thought about it before you left........  
  
Ross: Dont accuse me for anything Chandler............  
  
Chandler: Fine, fine.  
  
Ross: What should I do? I want to be the one she turns to.........  
  
Chandler: it's not that easy Ross. You've ignored her for the past three years..........didn't even send a CHRISTMAS card or anything..............  
  
Ross: I didn't-  
  
Chandler: What ever the reason is, maybe you should just do what is good for both of you........because I dont want you all sad or mad......and her crying herself to sleep.  
  
Ross: What is that?  
  
Chandler: Just let her go.  
  
~~TO BE CONTINUED~~  
  
Hey! I hoped you liked this part! Please review and be NICE! Means a lot to me!! Thanks guys! Bye! [ps. No, I'm not going to make her commit suicide.....good idea though!!! JOKING. Dont worry! I dont want to make this sadder than it already sort of is!! Heehee. Thanx for the review though!] 


	6. A Broken Family

Hey guys! I decided to update this one today...so I hope you like it!!  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
Ross: What do you mean 'let her go'? She's my daughter!  
  
Chandler: (shakes his head) She might be your daughter physically......but right when you left that day, it's like you gave up full responsibility of her........you sort of let her go there too.  
  
Ross: Chandler, do you hear what you're saying?! You're telling me that that girl, Melanie, is NOT my daughter even though I was there for her for-  
  
Chandler: 12 years. But what about the next 20 or so? Where will you be Ross? (pauses) Raising another girl pretending that Melanie and the rest of your 'old' family never existed!!  
  
Ross: That's not true......!  
  
Chandler: Well, that's sort of what you've been doing for the past few years!!!  
  
(Ross gets this look and Chandler keeps shaking his head)  
  
Chandler: Please Ross, just listen to me. You tried......but just.....let her go.  
  
(we fade to inside, where we see Melanie sitting on the floor behind the kitchen counter, and she has tears in her eyes. She heard the whole thing.)  
  
~~  
  
(we go into the bedroom that Maddy and Melanie are sharing, and we see Melanie lying on her stomach, her head in her arms, staring out the window. It's the next day, and it's late afternoon. Maddy is not there, and she's all alone. She's listening to her ear phones, but she doesn't really seem to be paying attention to the music playing. She looks really sad, and she's thinking really hard about something. Suddenly, the door behind her slowly opens, but she doesn't notice. We then see Ross pop his head in, he gets this sad look and walks in. He shuts the door softly, but she still hears. She turns around and this strange look appears on her face. Ross slowly walks up to her and sits down on the bed as she turns away again.)  
  
Ross: Melanie? (silence) Please talk to me? Look, I know you hate me......and I know you have all the reasons to do so, but please just talk to me for one second!  
  
Melanie: (turns her head to him and takes off one ear phone) Why should I talk to you? So you can make me feel bad about everything I said yesterday? So you can make me say sorry? Because I hope you know it's not MY fault I'm like this!  
  
Ross: Melanie......I dont expect you to say sorry for what you said! I deserved all that.....okay? I just want to talk!  
  
Melanie: (putting her ear phone back on) I have better things to do......  
  
Ross: (getting upset) Like what?? Sit around on your ass and cry your eyes out?!  
  
Melanie: Excuse me?! How dare you talk to me like that!  
  
Ross: How dare YOU talk to me like that too!  
  
Melanie: Look, you LEFT me! I wanted to come with you! I wanted to be your daughter forever and EVER! I would have been here with you right now, and not answering you like this!!  
  
Ross: Melanie, you'll ALWAYS be my daughter!  
  
Melanie: (covers her ears) Shut up!! No I wont!! I dont WANT to be your daughter!! I dont want to be YOUR daughter! I dont want to be MOMS daughter!! I just want to DIE!  
  
Ross: (scared) No you dont! You dont mean that......  
  
Melanie: (glaring at him) You know what......I dont deserve to have a father like you! (begins to cry) I am a good person!! (pause) Or at least I was.......  
  
Ross: Mel, you are a nice person.......  
  
Melanie: No I'm not! And it's all YOUR fault!! You ruined EVERYTHING! (screams) EVERYTHING!!!!!  
  
Ross: (quietly) Honey, calm down.....  
  
Melanie: (looks at him with this evil, menacing look) Honey? HONEY?!?!?! I AM NOT YOUR 'HONEY'!! I NEVER WAS!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER WAS!!!!!!!!!! TAKE THAT BACK!! TAKE THAT BACK!! NEVER! NEVER!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ross: (looks scared) Calm down.....calm down......  
  
Melanie: I thought I had the best family!! But look what happened to us NOW! It's all RUINED! And it's all YOUR FAULT!! (points at him with that evil look) YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! (she starts to pound on the bed, sobbing)  
  
Ross: Melanie!! MELANIE! (he tries to stop her from pounding the bed, but she always gets away, thrashing her arms in every direction)  
  
(he suddenly gets hold of one of her arms, but she's still struggling, so to stop her, he pulls up the sleeve of her shirt, and suddenly she just stays still, and he stares down at her arm in shock. All over the lower part of her arm, near her wrist especially, are little jagged, zig-zagged cuts.)  
  
Ross: melanie? What have you done...........?  
  
Melanie: (barely a whisper) There dad......are you happy now? You know my secret......go tell it to the whole world.......but please, just leave me alone. You ruined everything......right when you left that night......the pieces that could actually have been put back together, all collapsed. You have another family now.....just waiting for you.....go to them.......and I'll go to my own; back home. It may still be broken.......and scarred forever.........but it's better than any of this. (she looks down at her arm) I've waited for you too long.......I've lied in bed every night for these past few years.....wishing that you would suddenly appear, and everything would be like it was before. I cried because I didn't have you...........but suddenly, I saw you again....and it was like my wish had come true......I had you again.......but then I thought; if I have him near me now, why am I still crying?  
  
~To Be Continued~  
  
I hoped you guys liked it! I'll be sure to continue very soon! Please review.....thanks for reading! BYE! 


	7. I Want To Go Home

Heyo! I decided to continue this one, since I love it so much! And yes, I AM planning to put Rachel in this, cause I'm just sooooooooooo nice!! Ya know, just a while ago, a friend of mine stuck a Nutella jar in the microwave because she claimed it was frozen.....woohoo, big mistake! The whole thing blew up!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And the microwave was on fire, and there was chocolate everywhere. And while her mom was going crazy and panicking, my friend was licking chocolate of the walls. Man, what an idiot!! Heehee.  
  
Family Portrait  
  
Ross lay in his bed alone several hours after the talk he had had with Melanie. He felt both sad, and he also felt alone. Beth wasn't home- she had gone to work that morning announcing that she would be home very late. Ross looked over at the clock and saw that it was only 8pm. That wasn't late for him anymore. Monica and Chandler were downstairs watching TV, but Ross didn't feel like joining them. They were to 'happy' all the time......and he hated it. He wanted to be with Melanie........he wanted her to forgive him, and be happy again. But he knew that he was practically asking for a miracle. As Ross stared up at the ceiling, he remembered Melanie's last words, and as he did, a pain inside of him-inside his soul, struck so hard he could hardly breath.  
  
"I cried because I didn't have you...........but suddenly, I saw you again....and it was like my wish had come true......I had you again.......but then I thought; if I have him near me now, why am I still crying?"  
  
It hurt so much........just that little sentence. He was her father.....and he knew it; she knew it........but suddenly, he didn't feel like it anymore. He felt like a stranger to her......he felt like he hardly knew her anymore. He didn't know who she was. He didn't know anything about her..............and that feeling scared Ross the most.  
  
~~  
  
(Rachel was awaken by the phone ringing, and she waited a few more minutes before slowly getting up and answering it.)  
  
Rachel: Lo? (pause, silence) Heelllooo?  
  
Melanie's voice: (barely a whisper, sounds like she's been crying) Mom?  
  
Rachel: Melanie! [screen splits, and we see Mel lying on the bed in the same position she was before]  
  
Melanie: Sorry for calling so late but-  
  
Rachel: No, it's okay. (pause) What's wrong? You sound weird.....  
  
Melanie: Oh mom, it's terrible. Ugh, I dont belong here.  
  
Rachel: What's wrong? Bad new step-mother-to-be?  
  
Melanie: Ugh, I dont care about her. And about Maggie......but-  
  
Rachel: Who's Maggie?  
  
Melanie: Some stupid blonde chick he's replacing me with......anyway-  
  
Rachel: Replacing? What are you talking about?  
  
Melanie: Miss I'm-so-perfect Beth had a daughter. Hip-hip-hooray!  
  
Rachel: Oh Mel, I'm sorry.  
  
Melanie: I dont care. They all deserve each other!  
  
Rachel: What happened?  
  
Melanie: Mom, remember long ago, when I turned 13.......and I asked you if I could go on a date? And you said okay, but you were hesitant, and you told me to watch out cause sometimes men can be pigs? (chuckles a bit)  
  
Rachel: (chuckles too) Yeah......but uh, what does-  
  
Melanie: (trying to hold back tears) Well I realised something today.........  
  
Rachel: What's that?  
  
Melanie: (chokes on tears) Dad is a jerk! A jerk for everything he has done......and for every single thing he said in the past, and every single thing he has said wrong right now, in the present! (she begins to sob)  
  
Rachel: Melanie, oh my God. Dont cry, please dont! I told you not to go.......I warned you!  
  
Melanie: I thought he was different you know............I mean, yeah he left me, but still! (pause) I always thought that you didn't love me mom......(Rachel tries to say something, but Melanie goes on) but I have now realised that the person who I loved the most, and who I thought loved ME the most........hates me.  
  
Rachel: he doesn't HATE you!  
  
Melanie: Right. What ever! Well, if he doesn't hate me, then I hate him. He is NOT my father, and he doesn't deserve to be. (pause) You know what mom? I'm coming home. Forget about this stupid wedding......forget about DAD! Can we just go back to a normal life? Without trying to remember or dream about how it would be with dad? Because you know what? He doesn't deserve to be with us.......and I hope you share my view!  
  
(silence follows, and it stays for a while)  
  
Rachel: (whispers) Come home baby.......  
  
~~  
  
After a while, Ross had found his way downstairs and was now pacing around the kitchen, once in a while glancing at the phone. When he heard voices in the living room which he knew weren't the TV's he went in there. There he saw Melanie. When he walked in, she looked up, but immediately looked at Chandler and Monica again.  
  
Chandler: What's up Mel?  
  
Melanie: I want to go HOME.  
  
Monica: What?  
  
Melanie: You heard me, home!  
  
Chandler: But Mel......  
  
Ross: (clears his throat) If she wants to go.....let her!  
  
(Melanie glares at him)  
  
Melanie: Please Uncle Chandler......I have to go home. I want to go to mom......I dont want to stay here..........this might be the cause of my death!  
  
Monica: (shocked she's saying all this in front of Ross) Melanie, stop it!!  
  
(Chandler looks over at Monica and shakes her head)  
  
Chandler: Mel, come with me.......(he gets up and walks with Mel into the front hall. After a minute or two, we hear the front door slam)  
  
Monica: Ross, just ignore her. She's been really evil lately ........I think she's just really disturbed.  
  
Ross: Monica!! Just.......just.......shut up, will you?  
  
(he walks out, leaving Monica dumbfounded)  
  
[we fade to Chandler and Melanie sitting on the front porch steps]  
  
Melanie: I talked to him.......and then I talked to my mom. He's a jerk, and I want my mom.  
  
Chandler: Listen to you child! You sound like a little baby!  
  
Melanie: Chandler!!  
  
(silence)  
  
Chandler: (quietly) Well, there's the first sign that you're growing up. What ever happened to (scrunches up his face in a baby way) (squeaky voice) Uncle Chandler.  
  
Melanie: (looks down) I don't think many teenagers go through what I'm going through........  
  
Chandler: Well, then I guess not all teenagers are special.  
  
Melanie: (shoots him a look) I'm not special.........(pause) Aunt Monica doesn't like me very much, does she?  
  
Chandler: What?! Where'd you get that?  
  
Melanie: I don't know. (pause) Not that many people like me........  
  
Chandler: (puts his arm around her) I know one person that does..........  
  
(she looks at him and smiles)  
  
Chandler: Oh, not me. (she shoots him a look again) Your dad.  
  
Melanie: (looks away) He's not my dad.......  
  
Chandler: Melanie, he's sorry. He really is...............he wants to change the past, to make everything right. But he knows he cant, and he's facing it. And you have to too. He's now moving on.......and so should you.  
  
Melanie: Oh I moved on! Right when I saw his FACE.  
  
Chandler: See.  
  
Melanie: Look, uncle Chandler. I know that you're my dad's 'best friend' and all, and you want him happy. But what about me? What about how I feel? (pause) I want to go home.  
  
Chandler: (quietly) Fine.  
  
Melanie: Yeah?  
  
Chandler: yeah. I'll get you some tickets..........you'll fly out tomorrow.  
  
Melanie: Thank you. (pause) I love you uncle Chandler......you really understand me........  
  
(she kisses him on the cheek and then gets up and walks into the house)  
  
Chandler: (looks up at the sky) I try........  
  
Ross: What?  
  
Chandler: Whoa! (he looks up) Ross, you scared me.  
  
Ross: Soooo.....what?  
  
Chandler: (Shakes his head) I cant stop her Ross.......this is what she wants........  
  
Ross: Yeah it is.......but you're a 'grown up' you can handle it!  
  
Chandler: No, I cant. (pause) I feel sorry for her. And she's going through hell now Ross......and I'm not going to let her stay here and rot in it. Because she doesn't belong in hell.  
  
(with that he stands up, pats Ross on the shoulder and walks to the door)  
  
Chandler: And Ross, even if she did, or she might.........I wont let her.........because I, for one, love her way to much to do that to her.  
  
(he walks into the house, and we go to Ross' face. He looks really sad, and his eyes are filling up with tears. He looks up at the sky as we slowly pan out from him until he's a little speck in our view. Then, we fade out.)  
  
**TO BE CONTINUED**  
  
Hey, I hope you liked that, and I hope that wasn't that sad. I'm sniffing away........but I dont think I'm crying......heehee. Its just my cold. UGH. Anyways........please review and be nice!! Next part will be up soon..........I hope.  
  
Feb. 6, 2003  
  
Chapter 7 


	8. It's Not Her Fault

Hey everybody! I know it has been a long time since I updated, so here you go! I hope you like it!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Friends characters, but I do own Melanie, Maggie, Maddy [the three M's!! Hahahaha!] and I guess Ross' fiancee.  
  
~* Family Portrait *~  
  
Melanie had known that it would be a bad idea to come, but she did anyway. Because she thought that he was different....she had wished he would have changed. But he was the same; maybe even worse. He had a new family now.....all lined up and waiting for the day to draw nearer when they would become an official one. Melanie couldn't even bare thinking of it.....and that's why she had decided to go home. It was not only because of her dad's behaviour.  
  
~~  
  
The next day, Melanie woke up early, with the sun's rays leaking through thr blades covering the window. Maddy was still fast asleep beside her, and Melanie thought of it very weird. Normally she was up and about early in the morning already. She quietly got up and walked out the door. As she neared the kitchen, she heard the TV on in the living room. She glanced at the clock and realised that it actually was very early. 'Who would be awake at this time watching TV??' She walked into the living room to check, and right away regretted it. Sitting there in the living room was Maggie, her 'replacement'. Before Melanie could walk out unnoticed, Maggie turned her head and smiled.  
  
Maggie: Hey there, haven't seen you around for a long time! Where have you been hiding? (smiles widely)  
  
Melanie: (gives her a fake smile) In the room......(sounds depressed) I like being alone. Why, got a problem with that?  
  
Maggie: (still smiling) No, not at all. It's jsut, Maddy told me that normally you're a very lively and happy person......!  
Maddy. Melanie would have to deal with her later......now she had to deal with miss smiley.  
  
Melanie: Yeah, that was before I came here.  
  
Maggie: Uh......right. Hey, you wanna do something today? You know, we haven't done anything to get to know each other. I mean, we're going to be step-sisters soon.......  
  
Stepsisters. Melanie suddenly felt like throwing up.  
  
Melanie: You're not my sister.  
  
Maggie: (confused that Melanie is being so rude) I didn't say you were.  
  
Melanie: My sister's name is Emma.  
  
Maggie: (confused) I thought your sister was DEAD? Didn't she die like a long time ago?  
  
Melanie: (quietly, but coldly) Don't talk about her like that! You dont even have the right to TALK about her!  
  
Maggie: Uh, yes I do. If she were ALIVE, she would be my stepsister.  
  
Melanie: If she were alive, she wouldn't WANT to be your stepsister! Hell, I dont think she would have even COME if she knew about YOU!  
  
Maggie: (gasps) Dont talk to me like that!  
  
Melanie: I can talk to you however I want to!  
  
Maggie: Hey, just because your sister is dead, your mother is messed up and I get your dad now doesn't mean you have to act like such a messed up freak!! Just because YOUR life is messed up doesn't mean you have to act like this to me! Just because your dad likes ME better than YOU doesn't mean you have to treat me this way!! It's not MY fault your life is so screwed up and that your own dad HATES you!!  
  
(tears began to well up in Melanie's eyes as she took in everything that Maggie was saying. It hurt, it hurt so bad. And to be coming from Maggie of all people, who she hardly even spoke to........Melanie couldn't speak. She was hurting all over-emotionally. She couldn't take it anymore, without saying anything, she turned around and began to run out of the room, bumping into Chandler on the way out. She sort of just ran into his arms, and as she began to sob, Chandler just hugs her, not really knowing what had happened. We fade out as Chandler looks up from the sobbing Melanie in his arms and at Maggie, who looks sort of guilty, and then suddenly just walks out of the room.)  
  
~~  
  
(fades in to where they were standing before)  
  
Chandler: Melanie, Melanie sweetie.....calm down.....come on.....what happened?  
  
(Melanie keeps sobbing)  
  
Chandler: Mel, come on. You can tell me.......what happened?  
  
(Melanie begins to calm down and looks up at him, her eyes still filled with tears, and her cheeks stained with tears)  
  
Melanie: (choking back on tears) She called me a messed up freak because my mom was so messed up......and because.....(chokes) Emma was dead.....and because my life was so screwed up. She said that it wasn't her fault that.......(pause) my dad likes her better than me and that he doesn't love me anymore......and that he hates me. (pause, sobbing.) (while sobbing hard, quietly) That bitch.........  
  
Chandler: (looking kind of shocked) Mel, dont listen to anything she said! Non of that is true. You are not a freak.......and your mother is not messed up. And your dad does NOT hate you!! He loves you.  
  
Melanie: I want to go home.......I want to go home!  
  
Chandler: Okay Melanie.....lets go. Come on.....I'll bring you over to the airport. We'll have to try and get you on an air plane. (pause) Go get your stuff.....I'll go ask if I can borrow a car or something.  
  
(he lets go of Melanie as she starts to head towards the stairs. And as she walks up, Chandler stares after her, shaking his head sadly)  
  
~~  
  
As Melanie walked out of the room with her duffel bag, she was met by Monica who gave her a huge hug.  
  
Monica: (quietly) Melanie, I'm so sorry. I just thought that you were over reacting the whole time......but I understand now. I understand the pain you've been feeling, and I'm sorry I wasn't always there.  
  
Melanie: (whispers) It's okay Aunt Monica. I understand. He's your brother....  
  
(with that she walked down the stairs, where she saw Chandler waiting in the front hallway)  
  
Chandler: I got a car. Come on, lets go.  
  
~~  
  
(They're now in the car, and Chandler starts the engine)  
  
Chandler: Lets get you outta here.....  
  
(As they drive out of the driveway, Melanie turns in her seat and stares at the house as the drive away)  
  
Melanie: Was he home?  
  
Chandler: What? (notices she's still looking behind) Oh.....no, he wasn't. He was at work.  
  
Melanie: (looking down) Oh, okay.  
  
Chandler: I'll just tell him tha-  
  
Melanie: No. Uncle Chandler, dont tell him! Dont tell him what Maggie said. He has her now.....she's his daughter, and-  
  
Chandler: Melanie, you're his daughter.  
  
Melanie: I DONT want him to know.  
  
Chandler: (sighs) Fine.  
  
(Melanie turns her head to look back, and standing in the drive way of the house, there she sees Ross. His car parked on the side of the road.)  
  
~~  
  
He was too late. He had had a feeling that she was going to leave that day. How could Chandler just take her away? He wanted to apologise for everything.......for the way he had acted and for the way he was treating her. He loved her.......she was his daughter, and he loved her with all his heart. He quickly ran into the house and met Monica in the living room.  
  
Monica: (surprised) Ross?  
  
Ross: Did they go to the airport?  
  
Monica: Uh, yeah.  
  
Ross: Oohh God!! I cant believe it!! I'm such an idiot!! I should have never left........I SHOULDNT HAVE! But I was such a fool!! I thought I wouldn't be able to take it!!  
  
Monica: Well Ross, you should have realised that sooner.  
  
Ross: I loved them Monica! They were my family.....but I was just so scared I would hurt them both if anything worse happened.  
  
Monica: Well, you hurt them more when you left, Ross.  
  
Ross: Mon, I gotta go.  
  
Monica: What, where?  
  
Ross: New York!  
  
Monica: Ross, you're getting married.  
  
Ross: She's my daughter Monica.......and she thinks I hate her for God's sake!! No father hates their daughter, and I want her to know that!!  
  
Monica: Ross, you're getting married, and you're getting a new family.  
  
Ross: Look Monica, okay, yay, I'm moving on....getting a new daughter, what ever! But still, Melanie is my REAL daughter......and I love her so much!! I never thought that I would see her again.....but I did, and now I want her to know that I love her and that I will always be her father!!  
  
(we go to the doorway leading to the living room, and there we see Maggie, looking down at the floor, looking really sad)  
  
Monica: Okay Ross......fine. Just don't ruin it for everyone.  
  
(with that, Ross runs out the front door and we fade out as it slams shut)  
  
~~To be continued.......~~  
  
Well, I hoped you liked this part. Yes, this fic is getting dramatic, but hey, I love drama! Hehe. Anyways, I need you people's help! Actually, your suggestions. Please include them in your reviews. Who wants a good ending where Melanie and Ross are finally happy but Ross still gets married and life goes on as usual. And well, who wants Ross and Rachel to get together, and we have a perfect ending? Please tell me, and I'll base the next part on your suggestions!! Okay? So please review!! Bye, and thanks for reading!! 


	9. In the Pouring Rain

Hey guys, I have decided just to work hard on this fic and just get it over with and then start working on my others. Here's the nest part, and I would like to thank * PrincessWitch2010 * I am sooooooo grateful for a reader like you!! Hehe. If you didn't give me that great idea, I don't think I would be writing this so soon. I loved your idea, and I used most of it in here, just changing some parts. Thank you so much girl!  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
(It's nighttime the next day, and it's raining hard outside. Melanie and Rachel are sitting inside the kitchen by the breakfast table. They're talking and Melanie has tears in her eyes.)  
  
Rachel: OH honey, I'm so sorry.  
  
Melanie: It's okay mom. It's not even your fault anyway.  
  
Rachel: I wasn't so sure about letting you go.....but you seemed so.....determined to go.  
  
Melanie: I really did want to go and see him again......but I also had this dreading feeling, but I just tried to ignore it. (puts her head in her hands) I'm so stupid......I shouldn't have gone.  
  
Rachel: Yes sweetie, you shouldn't have. But you're not stupid.....and well, you didn't know what to expect.  
  
(suddenly the doorbell rings and Rachel gets up looking confused. She looks down at her watch and then at Melanie, who is now sipping from a mug of hot tea)  
  
Rachel: I wonder who could be coming at a time like this.......  
  
(she gets up and walks out of the kitchen, and we follow her. She opens the door slightly and gets this weird look)  
  
Rachel: You.  
  
(she swings the door open and there we see Ross, soaked wet from head to toe because of the rain)  
  
Ross: (quietly) Me.  
  
~~  
  
Rachel: (over coming the shock, the glares at him and begins to talk bitterly) What do YOU want? Haven't you done enough damage?  
  
Ross: Look Rachel, I know you hate me......and I know you DESERVE to hate me....and I'm sorry for every single fight and everything....but I came to see Melanie and to say sorry for----  
  
Rachel: For what Ross? For yelling at her? For making her feel so unloved? For finding a bitch as a replacement for her? (Ross tries to interrupt, but she goes on) For letting that girl treat Melanie like trash? Saying that she was messed up because I was and because Emma was dead! (yells) For what Ross? For breaking her heart?  
  
(she tries to close the door but Ross stops her)  
  
Ross: Rachel, please?!  
  
Rachel: I'm sorry Ross......but hearts can't be mended that easy.  
  
(Ross looks down and they stay like that for a while. Rachel staring at him and Ross looking down. When he looks up again, although he is still soaked wet, you can see tears sliding down his cheeks)  
  
Ross: Rachel, like I said, I'm sorry for every fight.......for every single hurtful thing I said to you.....and well, for leaving that night. But I couldn't take it anymore....and I was scared that something worse may happen.  
  
Rachel: Sorry cant fix everything, you know. (she looks down, holding back tears)  
  
Ross: Look, all I want to do is say sorry to my daughter. I have the RIGHT to.  
  
Melanie: (yells out from behind) No you don't! I am NOT your daughter! I practically never was!! You weren't there on my first day of high school.....you weren't there when I had my first date, 'interviewing' the guy and making him look stupid!! (begins to sob) You weren't there telling me how nice I looked in my first prom dress!! (quietly) You weren't here for anything.......and you didn't want me either.  
  
Ross: I did want you. I DO want you.  
  
Melanie: But I don't want YOU! I hate you!! I HATE YOU!! Don't EVER try to come here again and try to be my father again!! Because right when you left......I DIDN'T HAVE A FATHER! (she spins on her heal and runs up the stairs sobbing. Ross is watching her run up, looking both hurt and upset. Rachel is just looking down)  
  
~~  
  
Ross: So what, you're just going to let her run away like that? You know the truth Rachel...she does too....I AM hr father.....and even if I wasn't here, I will always be.  
  
Rachel: (looks up at him sadly) No Ross....you're not. Maybe biologically.....but like she said, rigth when you left that day, you weren't her "real" father anymore.  
  
Ross: That's bull shit!  
  
Rachel: NO, it's NOT! She has the right to say that!! Even CHANDLER has been more like a father for her!! He truly does understand her! He's been there......he's your replacement.....and Melanie loved him. Loved him more than anything......and you cant change that anymore Ross!! Just go back to where ever and go get married....have more kids! What ever.....just (almost like a threat) Leave Melanie ALONE.  
  
~~  
  
(lightening lit up the sky as Ross and Rachel stared at each other, Rachel looking angry and Ross looking really sad)  
  
Ross: Okay Rach, fine. I'll leave you alone.....I'll leave both of you alone.....but please, I want to leave knowing that you're not mad at me. (Rachel tries to speak, but he continues) I know that leaving that night was stupid......I've known that for all these years......I wanted to come back, but the truth is that I was scared. I had a feeling this would happen.....and I didn't want my daughter to hate me! So I left you guys alone......and I met someone else. But that didn't mean that I forgot you guys completely. You're my real family....(shrugs) maybe we didn't work out, but you know it's true. SO please Rachel, just at least TRY to forgive me.....! You know I've been stupid and what I did was dumb......I know it too. But you cant change the past.......but we can help change the future.  
  
(Rachel stares at him with tears in her eyes and he stares at her. After a while he looks down sadly and shifts his feet)  
  
Ross: Okay......I'll leave.  
  
(he turns to leave and takes a few steps)  
  
Rachel: (quietly) Ross?  
  
(Ross turns around and looks at her questioningly and thunder rumbles close by and a flash of lightening fills up the dark sky)  
  
Rachel: (quietly) Why don't you come in? It's cold and you're soaked wet.......  
  
Ross: (looks inside and at the stairway) Are you sure?  
  
(Rachel nods, turns around, and walks into the house. Ross closes the door and follows close behind her. As they walk into the kitchen, we look up the stairway and we see a door open at a crack. As we go closer, we see Melanie sitting on the floor inside the room, looking out the crack of the door. And we see that she watched the whole thing, and she saw Ross come inside. She has tears in her eyes. She closes the door and now the only thing lighting up the room is the faint glow of the moon from outside. She hugs her knees and puts her head down on them, sobbing as another flash of lightening illuminates the the sky and her room for a split second. We fade out.)  
  
~~to be continued~~  
  
Okay, I've got tons of homework and make up work to do, so that's all I can write right now.....sorry! And also, I'm pretty depressed today, since only yesterday I found out that I'm moving to Spain in less than 4 months.....and I don't wanna leave!! All my friends are here!!! *SOB* Well, it's unfair, but I guess I'm used to it. Well, anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.......if you did, thank PrincessWitch2010 baby!! Thank you again girl! 


	10. I'm Sorry

Hey everybody! Wow, I've reached the 10th chapter already! I'd like to thank everybody for all the reviews that people have submitted....they really are appreciated!! Thank you SO much! Anyway, here's chapter 10 for you guys!! (I think that this is the final chapter...unless I get "pleas" for an epilogue....hehehe)  
  
~Family Portrait~  
  
(we fade into the kitchen where we see Ross sitting by the table, a mug of hot tea in his hand and Rachel sitting across from him)  
  
Ross: And I didn't even know about what Maggie said to her.......!  
  
Rachel: Yeah, I think that she told Chandler not to tell you.....  
  
Ross: Well, I didn't see Chandler when I got home. Right when I arrived, I saw the car driving away. (takes a drink of his tea)  
  
Rachel: But Ross, you knew that it would be so hard to accept...I mean the wedding, then suddenly the 'replacement'......  
  
Ross: She's not a replacement!  
  
Rachel: Whatever. It's just, so hard for her to take in......and then there's you, who is supposed to be supportive, but instead, you're yelling at her!  
  
Ross: I never yelled at her......  
  
Rachel: Rooss.....I heard about every 'fight' that you had when she was there......!  
  
Ross: (looks down at the table and at the mug) I didn't mean any of it.....I was just so mad, and also pretty sad about the whole thing. (pause) But she was also being so un-kind and so stubborn!  
  
Rachel: Ross, she's a CHILD. And she's just so troubled.......not THAT many children have to go through something like this. Yeah, parents get divorced.....but she went through more than that.  
  
Ross: (still looking down) I guess.....  
  
~~  
  
Rachel: You know Ross, I never did understand why you left that night. I mean, just because of one little mistake I had made that night, it made you realise that you should have left.  
  
Ross: Rachel, it wasn't only the mistake....and you know it. Just the whole fight......(Rachel cuts him off)  
  
Rachel: I know.......I know what I said was terrible.....and very wrong. But I'm over that now. I've had to raise her all on my own Ross......raising a troubled teenager. Do you know how hard that is? I tried so hard to fulfil her needs.......it's a miracle we can still afford this house! I tried to help her get over the pain......I tried so hard......but you don't know how it feels Ross. You don't know how it feels to lose a father.....and a father that she loved so much. I didn't think she would ever come back to me again.....she lived with Monica for a while, and when she came over for some stuff, she could barely LOOK at me. (pause) Do you know how THAT feels like Ross? Your own daughter can't even look at you in the eye.....!  
  
Ross: Rachel, I'm SORRY! But I can't do anything to change what happened that night....I know it, and you know it.  
  
Rachel: (raising her voice a bit) Well what do you expect me to do?? Just forgive and forget?! It might be easy for you to say it Ross, but it's hard for ME to take it in. Look Ross, before you left, you had Melanie. She loved you so much.....and you know why she couldn't look me in the eye?? Because when she did, instead of seeing me, she saw YOU. And that's what scared her.......she didn't want to hurt more than she already did. She hated me Ross.....Let's face it. She hardly ever spoke me or anything.....!  
  
Ross: Well, just because she wasn't as perfect as Emma and was always so close to YOU.....doesn't mean that she HATED you Rachel!! That's a pathetic excuse!  
  
Rachel: (gets up and points at him) How dare you bring Emma into this and even make FUN of her!!  
  
Ross: I didn't make fun of her!!  
  
Rachel: I never said that Emma was perfect......but at least she tried to get close to her mom!  
  
Ross: Melanie tried......but you just never let her 'in'!! You were all cooped up on Emma.....(pause) Emma was gone....and yes, you missed her....I did TOO....but I knew that we had another daughter that we needed to take care of, so I put that just aside.....for MELANIE'S sake!! But you IGNORED her!!  
  
Rachel: You don't know how it feels to watch your child die before you!!  
  
Ross: How could you say that to me?! Emma was MY child too!!  
  
Rachel: Yes, well you didn't spend almost more than a DAY in labour for her!! You didn't feel the pain giving birth to her!! And YOU didn't feel how I felt when I first held her in my arms after struggling so much.  
  
Ross: Maybe I didn't.....but that doesn't mean that I wasn't sad......she was my daughter, and I loved her very much. But you have to face it....Melanie needed us too....and you just weren't there.  
  
Rachel: Don't talk to me like that Ross....because you KNOW that I've been there. Maybe it didn't look like it before......but we've gone through HELL together!! And we've been 'there' for each other! So don't you DARE tell me that bullshit!  
  
Ross: You know what?! You seem to think that you're so much better than me.....so I'm just going to LEAVE. You seem to think that Melanie doesn't need me at all...so I'm going to leave.  
  
Rachel: You do that!! And don't come back begging for forgiveness again!  
  
Ross: (coldly) I wasn't saying it to you anyway..... (he gets up and starts walking towards the front door, Rachel following closely behind. He opens up the door, and for a second, we flash to the top of the stairs, where we see Melanie. They don't notice her, and she's just watching)  
  
Rachel: I'm sorry you had to come all the way here for nothing.....  
  
Ross: (coldly still) Yeah, I'm sorry too. (pause) Now go back to your daughter.....she "needs" you doesn't she?? You've been "there" for her haven't you?? Now go.....dont mind ME!  
  
Rachel: yeah, I wont.  
  
Ross: Have a nice life, Rachel.  
  
Rachel: Yeah you too. Just watch out for that bitch of a replacement!  
  
Ross: Now you STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE! She might have said those things.....but I heard her talking about Melanie too. And all she said was good things......so that must mean that Melanie said somethings to her also.  
  
Rachel: You dont have to stand up for her Ross.....she cant hear you. Maybe you should say all that in her face.....and also include that you hate Melanie, just like her!!  
  
Ross: Oh my God! I dont know what the hell is wrong with you Rachel.....(Rachel interupts)  
  
Rachel: Oh, NOTHING is wrong with ME! But there's definitely something wrong with you!  
  
Ross: I'm not the one who pretends to have only one child!!  
  
Rachel: What??  
  
Ross: What ever happened to Nicky, Rachel?? Forgot about your son there?  
  
Rachel: (quietly) I did not.....  
  
Ross: I got to go......(he looks outside, and there's still a bit of rain, but it's slowly stopping now) Goodbye....  
  
(Rachel says nothing, and just stares at him as he turns around and begins to walk. We go to Melanie, and she is staring at him walk away, and she looks like she's thinking.)  
  
" He left you Melanie......he left you alone.....and he doesn't deserve your forgiveness. Or does he? Was it all just some stupid mistake like he SAID it had been?"  
  
(she stood there for a few more seconds, but suddenly a thought came to her head and suddenly a burst of energy struck her weak body and she ran down the stairs and out the door)  
  
"Don't let him go this time.........."  
  
~~  
  
(melanie ran out the door and on to the wet grass)  
  
Melanie: Dad!! DAD!  
  
(Ross turns around and sees Melanie running towards him, he's looking confused. She runs into his arms and hugs him tightly, sobbing)  
  
Melanie: I'm sorry...I'm sorry......please don't leave me again....please! I'll do anything! (pause) He's hugging her, looking down at her head) I'm sorry....I'm sorry.... (she keeps repeating it while sobbing.)  
  
(Ross looks up from her head and while hugging her looks to the front porch and the front door. Standing there is Rachel, watching them and crying. Ross stares at her and she stares back. After a while she looks down and smiles a little. Ross smiles a bit too and look down at Mel and kisses her on the head)  
  
He knew that it would take a while until things would go back to normal with them again.....maybe they never would......but one thing he knew was that he had found what he had been 'searching' for, for all these years. And what he had not known was that the whole time he was searching, they were there, waiting for him.......  
  
(as we fade away, the last few words of Family Portrait by Pink play)  
  
I'll be your little girl forever........I'll go to sleep at night........  
  
~THE END~  
  
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!! Happy ending!! Happy ending! Yay! Did that seem rushed? I hope not, coz I wasn't trying to be. But hey, maybe it's NOT the end! Maybe, if I get more ideas, I'll write more. Maybe an epilogue......or another chapter. Who knows. Just please review, tell me what you thought, give your opinion. What ever. Thanks for reading! Peace out, *ME* 


	11. Losing Grip

Yay! I know you all must LOVE me right now!! Heehee! Yep, I'm continuing! YAY! Anyway, I KNOW Mel acted like a pathetic sissy, going back into his arms......but HEY, he's her father....and even though he's been such a JERK, again, he's her father. *sob* that's just the touching thing about it!! Oh, I'm gonna cry!! Heeheeheehee!! Anyway, I dont know.....I'm in a real good mood that's why I'm blabbing, but I'll shut up now! KAY?? SO you just go on and read.....and then, drop me of a note of praise....I mean, uh....just review!  
  
[Notes 2 some people that reviewed---Hey Avi!!! I just wanted to thank you for your review.....and also for that stuff you said about moving and everything. I also moved from somewhere before this, but I was young and all. But I know it's gonna be harder now....and anyway, thanks for just saying that stuff! It helped me get over my depression. Hehe. THANKS GURL!! To PrincessWitch2010!! You again!! Hehe, two chapters in a row!! Thank you sooooo much for those ideas.....I'm not sure some of it will be in this chapter, but I think I'll be writing more......and it'll definitely get in there....well, we'll just wait and see. THANKS 2 YOU TOO!! To the people who told me to BRING BACK NICKY.....well, I'LL TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]  
  
~* Family Portrait *~  
  
(* Melanie's POV *)  
  
All in a few seconds, hundreds of different memories and emotions flooded over me, and I felt a fresh load of tears begin to pour down my face, and I kept sobbing I'm sorry, even though I wasn't so sure what I should have been so sorry about. But I loved him so much, and I wouldn't let him leave me ever again. He was my father.....as much as I had denied it, I knew it was true. I didn't really expect him to stay here and be with me forever.....he had a new family now, but I at least wanted to know that he still thought of me as his daughter. I shouldn't even care about any of this......he left me on my own, all alone. And when that thought came, I was more confused than ever.....  
  
Are you aware of what you make me feel?  
  
Right now I feel invisible to you  
  
Like I'm not real  
  
Didn't you feel me lock my arms around you  
  
Why'd you turn away?  
  
Here's what I have to say.  
  
I was left to cry there....  
  
Waiting outside there.....  
  
Grinning with a lost stare.....  
  
That's when I decided.......  
  
(As Melanie kept sobbing, Ross slowly released his hold on her and made her stand a few inches away from him.)  
  
Ross: Mel? Why are you doing this? I thought you didn't need me anymore? What happened to that theory?  
  
Melanie: You don't have to be such an ass about it! Okay, you were right. I need a father......you're my father......but I just realised that. And I also just realised how stubborn....and......(sobs again) how stupid I have been!! (pause, cries) But suddenly, when I watched you leaving this house yet AGAIN, something in my head started flashing and saying...... 'Don't let him go this time.....' And I then realised that I've been so blind. I finally had you back by me.......and near me. And all I did was try to push you away again......  
  
Ross: Mel, I think it's just natural. After everything that has happened......  
  
(Melanie looked down and shivered since it's still pouring and they're soaked wet)  
  
Melanie: But the thing is......even though I listened to that voice telling me to come out here.....there's something else inside of me telling me to just walk away and forget about the whole thing. Why should I care? Time will heal everything....and one day we might get back to normal. But I'm confused. I dont know which one to listen to.......  
Why should I care?  
  
Cause you weren't there.....  
  
When I was scared  
  
I was so alone  
  
You need to listen  
  
I'm starting to trip  
  
I'm losing my grip  
  
And I'm in this thing alone.  
Melanie: We used to be so happy.......everyday I lie in my bed, with all these memories running through my head. But suddenly, the memories with you in them just stop. And it seems so weird, and so unexplainable in a dream. But when I wake up confused and alone.....I know why you weren't there hugging me and making me feel so loved so suddenly. It's because you weren't there. You left. And you disappeared from my dreams too. And that scared me the most. (she's still crying, but now it's harder to see her tears because the rain has grown harder. Ross just stares at her, also crying. Thunder rumbles close by and a flash of lightening illuminates their sad faces. Melanie shivers)  
  
Ross: Lets go inside, Melanie.......you're freezing......  
  
(they begin to walk to the front porch, where Rachel is still standing, watching them)  
  
Melanie: (when she passes Rachel, whispers) Hey mom......  
  
Rachel: (nods) Hey Mel......  
  
(Melanie walks inside and when Ross walks up the front steps of the porch Rachel turns and begins to walk inside when Ross grabs her arm and she faces him)  
  
Ross: Rachel? Please listen to me....right now. (Rachel just stares at him) I just want to tell you how much you still mean to me.......and I'm sorry for EVERYTHING....and well, I love you.  
  
Rachel: (looks down. After a while she speaks, but doesn't look up) Ross, I know you don't mean it. Come on, you don't need someone like me anyway..........you have someone else now, anyway. You know you're just doing this because of Melanie.....  
  
Ross: What does it take to make you realise that I'm so sorry.....and that I really love you?  
  
Rachel: Can you give me back those years we've wasted?  
  
(Ross looks down)  
  
Rachel: I didn't think so.  
  
(Rachel looks away from him and then down. She then turns around and walks into the house, leaving Ross standing there, looking after her.)  
  
Am I just some chick you placed beside you?  
  
To take somebody's place?  
  
When you turn around....  
  
Can you recognise my face?  
  
You used to love me......  
  
You used to hug me......  
  
But that wasn't the case....  
  
Everything wasn't okay.  
  
(inside the house. Melanie is no where in site so she must have gone up to her room. We go into the kitchen where we see Rachel sitting by the table, face in her hands. Ross walks over to the door and stands in the doorway watching her)  
  
Ross: Rachel? I know that I deserve to be hated......I am a terrible person.....but please, you HAVE to at least tell me one thing. Tell me that maybe one day everything will be okay.  
  
Rachel: (takes her head out of her hands) Ross!! I already KNOW that everything is going to be okay!! I know that what ever the future brings will be good, but what I CANT tell you is if you're going to be in it. (pause) I'm not sure I even WANT you in it. (pause again) I dont hate you. And you're not a terrible person. I can see now, it wasn't only your fault......it was mine too. We both have our own faults.......and maybe you should think again and see if you would be able to forgive ME.  
  
Ross: Well Rachel, I've already forgiven you. Because what's in the past stays in the past.....now there's the future to decide.  
Why should I care?  
  
Cause you weren't there.....  
  
When I was scared  
  
I was so alone  
  
You need to listen  
  
I'm starting to trip  
  
I'm losing my grip  
  
And I'm in this thing alone.  
Ross: Please tell me you'll at least think about it? Because I thought so long about this too Rach......and this is my decision. And now, I want to know yours. I love you Rachel.....I love you so much.  
  
Rachel: I loved you Ross........and fine. I'll think about it.  
  
(Ross looks down)  
  
Ross: Do you mind if I go check up on Mel?  
  
Rachel: (quietly) Go ahead, she's yours too.  
  
(Ross leaves the doorway and Rachel puts her head back in her hands, crying)  
  
~~  
  
(Mel's POV)  
  
I lay on my bed, my back to the door, my head facing the window, where you could still see the rain pouring. I just lay there and thought about everything I had been through in my life.....and about everything that happened just a few minutes ago. It all seemed so weird. Why did I have to go through all this? I look down at my right arm which is stretched out beside me. I lift up the sleeve of my long sleeved T-shirt and stare at the jagged cuts across my whole arm. I hadn't been able to wear a short sleeved T-shirt for almost over 3 months because of these......and nobody ever found out about them......but he did. He was the one that HAD to find them. As I stared down at the cuts harder, tears began to fill up my now dry eyes. Why did I do this to myself? Why did I only realise it now, when I've practically already RUINED myself. When all these thoughts came rushing through my head......suddenly, an image of someone came to me. Someone I had almost forgotten about. Nicky. My own brother......it had been so long....and suddenly, I felt myself begin to cry again. For almost forgetting him....and for the thing inside of me that kept telling me that I had lost my own brother.  
  
Crying out loud  
  
I'm crying out loud  
  
Crying out loud  
  
I'm crying out loud  
  
Open your eyes....  
  
Open up wide.....  
  
(suddenly the door behind her opens up and she closes her eyes tight, blocking out the sobs that were threatening to escape. Ross sticks his head in and slowly walks over to the side of her bed, staring at her back. He stands there for a while and then leans down and kisses her on the head. He then goes back to the same position he was in before, staring down at her. Then, right when he's about to turn and leave, he notices something on her bedside table. It's a picture frame. He picks it up and looks at it with a very sad look. After a while, he carefully puts it down and walks out of the door. We go to the picture frame, and we see it's the "family picture" it had been ripped up and now it was all taped together again. But the rips are REAL obvious. We then go to Mel's face, her eyes are still closed, but suddenly, one tear escaped and slowly slides down her cheek. We fade out with the song quietly playing......)  
  
Why should I care?  
  
Cause you weren't there.....  
  
When I was scared  
  
I was so alone  
  
You need to listen  
  
I'm starting to trip  
  
I'm losing my grip  
  
And I'm in this thing alone.  
  
OKAY! There's the chapter!! I really, truly hope you liked it......! NO, LOVED it!! Hehe. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review......they mean the WORLD to me!! And they're the BEST! So please, be nice and review!! I might write more......I'm not sure. But I *THINK* that's an okay ending already....I dunno!! MAYBE!! Well, bye!! 


	12. Going Back

Hey everybody!! I'm in the middle of plotting isobars (if you have any clue what they are....) on a stupid graph. Man, I hate this kind of stuff! I have TONS of HW, so this part is going to be sort of short. But you guys keep asking for more....hehe...and I'm a nice person! Right. Anyway, here you go, don't complain if its short! I warned you!  
  
~*Family Portrait*~  
  
(Ross woke up the next morning and left to the airport, just leaving a note on the kitchen counter, knowing Rachel would see it. He hadn't wanted to wake her up, and he wanted to leave early, because he had some things to take care of.....)  
  
~~  
  
Ross arrived in LA a few hours later, and by then, the sun was shinning brightly and you could barely know that winter was approaching. He arrived at his house to find that nobody was awake yet, so he just walked upstairs and into his and Beth's room, thinking hard. Last night, after he and Rachel had talked a little while longer, she headed up to bed and he had fallen asleep on the couch. A few hours he had woke up, and he couldn't fall back asleep again. He had lied there for almost more than 3 hours, just thinking about the situation he was in. And he had made up his mind. That's why he had come back.  
  
~~  
  
When Ross walked into the room, he saw Beth lying there on top of the bed covers and everything, still dressed in her work clothes. Ross sat down beside her, looking confused. He started shaking her and soon after, she stirred. She slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw him there, her eyes went wide.  
  
Beth: ROSS!! Oh my GOD! I have been SO worried about you!!! Where the hell have you been?!?!  
  
Ross: What? Nobody told you??  
  
Beth: I came home very late.....everybody was already in bed! I didn't want to wake anybody!  
  
Ross: I was in New York....  
  
Beth: New York??  
  
Ross: I had some things to take care of.......  
  
Beth: Oh. Did Melanie end up going home?  
  
(Ross nods)  
  
Beth: Ross, I don't understand why she's so messed up.  
  
Ross: Messed up? What are you talking about?  
  
Beth: Melanie! What else?  
  
Ross: She's not messed up!  
  
Beth: Oh come on Ross......I realised it a few days after she came. She keeps to herself....she's always sad and crying. And she NEVER talks to anybody! I TRIED to be nice to her! (pause) Look, I know that you and your other wife got divorced....and she's just sad about it. But hey, Maggie went through a divorce too.....but she doesn't act like that.  
  
Ross: (getting upset) There's a lot of stuff that you dont really know....!  
  
Beth: Well, I have time!  
  
Ross: And that you never will know!!  
  
Beth: Ross, we're going to be MARRIED! We can't keep secrets from each other.....we have to trust each other!!  
  
Ross: Hey, I don't have to tell you EVERYTHING okay??  
  
Beth: I've opened up to you Ross! And you've never told me anything!! All you have told me is that you had a daughter that died and you and your ex- wife were always fighting.  
  
Ross: (upset) That's all you should know! That's more than enough!!  
  
Beth: Is it her mother that makes her so messed up? (raising her voice a bit) You saw her yesterday...........how is she doing? Has she gone mad yet?  
  
Ross: shut up!!  
  
Beth: Dont tell ME to shut up!  
  
Ross: Why are you being so cruel?? What has she done to you!? You dont even know her!  
  
Beth: Look, Melanie is going to be my step-daughter, right?! And well, I dont really FEEL like she is!! She NEVER would talk to me......she would always be rude!! And I do NOT want to be treated like that!  
  
Ross: Oh my GOD! Beth, why are you acting like the whole WORLD revolves around YOU?! If she doesn't like you.....that's not her problem!  
  
Beth: WHAT?!  
  
Ross: (now really mad) I mean, look at you!! You act like you're so good! And you know what, I hate it!!  
  
Beth: Ross, can you hear what you're saying?!  
  
Ross: OH I HEAR IT ALL RIGHT!  
  
Beth: Calm down!  
  
Ross: You started this!!!  
  
Beth: You dont have to over-react!  
  
Ross: Oh my God....I cant take this anymore.....I'm leaving!  
  
Beth: What?  
  
Ross: That's right! I don't know WHY I even thought of marrying you!!  
  
Beth: (looks hurt) What?  
  
Ross: (lowers his voice, noticing her hurt look) I didn't mean that in a mean way. It's just.....  
  
Beth: (suddenly glaring really hard at him) Well, what ever way you meant it....you hurt my feelings Ross. Why don't you just get out!  
  
Ross: this is my house!  
  
Beth: I dont care.....who wants this house anyway!  
  
Ross: Well, if you exist in it, I wouldn't.  
  
Beth: GET OUT!  
  
Ross: (slams open the door) I AM! (they're now walking down the stairs) I hope you have a good life.....and while you're at it, tell your DAUGHTER that she's got some nerve!!  
  
Beth: What??  
  
Ross: Yeah, tell her NOBODY treats MY daughter the way she treated her! She had NO RIGHT! Telling Melanie that I loved HER more!  
  
Beth: WHATEVER! (pause) GO! I hope you find a wife that can actually handle a JERK like YOU!  
  
Ross: VICE-VERSA!!  
  
Beth: Or even better, why don't you go run to your little Rachel.....!  
  
Ross: What ever beth......(he opens the front door) Have a good life....  
  
Beth: (she turns her back to him) What ever.  
  
(he walks out and slams the door. She stares at the door and suddenly, tears begin to fall and we fade to outside the door, where we see Ross standing, staring at the door. After a while he glares at it and walks over to the car and gets in. When he pulls out of the drive way, we fade out.)  
  
~~  
  
(we fade into Rachel's and Mel's. Rachel walks into the kitchen)  
  
Rachel: (quietly) Ross? Are you in here? (to her self) Weird.....  
  
(she walks to the counter and sees the note. She slowly picks it up and reads it)  
  
"Dear Rachel. Went back home to LA. -Ross"  
  
That was it. That was all he had written. She dropped the note and began to cry quietly. She had spent the whole night thinking about what Ross had said to her, and she had finally decided. She was going to forgive him, and try to give it another shot. She loved him so much.....she never had stopped loving her. But it seemed like he had been lying, since he had gone back to LA, and left her without even saying a proper goodbye.  
  
(Melanie suddenly comes up into the doorway and sees Rachel crying)  
  
Melanie: Mom?  
  
(Rachel quickly dries her tears and turns around)  
  
Melanie: What happened? (Rachel says nothing and just stares at her, her eyes filling up with tears again. After a while, Melanie seems to get what happened and she slowly walks into Rachel's arms. They stand there for like forever and we fade to Ross sitting in the air plane, staring out the window. The screen splits and we see both scenes. After a while, it fades away and everything is pitch black.)  
  
~*TBC*~  
  
Yes, I will continue. Dont worry. But I think the next chapter will be the last! Anyway, although this chapter was short.....please review and tell me what you thought/think! Uuumm....I'm still thinking about how to bring Nicky back into this.....but I think I might have something.....but if you have ideas, please tell me! Well....please review! They help! Thanks guys! Ciao! 


	13. I Can Make it Through the Rain

Hullo guys!! *waves* What's up? Thank you all so much for the kind reviews!! Here's the next chapter....and I think the final one! Yay! Well, I hope you guys like it....!  
  
Family Portrait  
  
Ross paid the taxi driver and then got out of the car. As the taxi drove off, and in almost an instant disappeared down the road, Ross stood on the side walk staring up at the house that brought back so many memories. Even though it was still pretty early, it was already pretty dark. Rain clouds where rolling in, and thunder rumbled in the distance. He looked around, and he thought he saw somebody sitting on the front porch. She was now looking at him, and he realised it was Rachel. She slowly stood up and walked over to the stairs, where she stood and stared at him. He slowly crossed the grass of the front lawn until he was at the foot of the porch steps, staring up at Rachel. After a few minutes, Rachel was in tears, and she slowly stepped down one step, so she was face-to-face with Ross.  
  
Rachel: (whispers) You came back.....  
  
(Ross just nods, still looking straight into her eyes)  
  
They stood like that for a few more minutes. Rachel had tears streaming down her face, and a hand up to her mouth, practically blocking out the sobs that she really wanted to let out. Suddenly, Rachel just threw her arms around Ross, and hugged him tightly, sobbing, and it started to drizzle.  
  
Rachel: (while sobbing) I woke up this morning....looking for you! But when I saw the note.....I---I thought that I'd lost you again! I don't want to lose you Ross.....never again! I love you......I love you! Please forgive me.......?  
  
Ross: (while hugging her, he kisses her on the shoulders as she sobs into his) I love you Rachel......and I will never leave you.....ever again......! But you have to tell me that you forgive me too.  
  
Rachel: I forgive you Ross.......  
  
(Ross breaks the hug and they stare at each other for a while. After a while, Ross leans in and kisses her. They get into it, and it's pouring hard now. We move up to a second story window, where we look at one of the windows. The curtains are half closed, and we see Melanie sitting up there, staring down at Ross and Rachel kissing. She has tears in her eyes.)  
  
She was happy that her parents had made up, but somehow she felt so alone. She knew that now everything was going to be okay, but she still felt pain, and she still couldn't stop the tears from falling. But she wouldn't get over it.....she'd find her own way around it all.  
  
(After a while she turns around and we follow her as she starts searching through one of her bedside drawers. She pulls out this little diary/booklet thing and searches through it. After a few seconds, she stops on one page and picks up her phone.)  
  
Melanie: (whispers to herself) Come on......come on......please pick up! Come on......  
  
(It just keeps ringing, and right before Melanie is about to give up, and we hear a man's voice answer)  
  
Man: Hello? (pause, Melanie just stares off into space, tears rolling down her face) Um, hello? Anybody there?  
  
Melanie: (whispers) Hi.  
  
Man: Hello. How can I help you?  
  
Melanie: Nicky?  
  
Man: Yes, who are you?  
  
Melanie: Nicky, it's me.......! Melanie.  
  
~~  
  
When you get caught in the rain  
  
When you're distraught and in pain without anyone  
  
When you keep crying out to be saved but nobody comes  
  
And you feel so far away that you just cant find your way home  
  
You can get there alone  
  
It's okay, won't you say.....  
  
~~  
  
Nicky: (sounds VERY shocked) Melanie?!?!  
  
Melanie: (crying a bit harder) Nicky!  
  
Nicky: Oh my God, are you okay?  
  
Melanie: I miss you Nicky.....I miss you so much! Why didn't you ever call or maybe even WRITE?  
  
Nicky: Well....I-I never thought mom would have----  
  
Melanie: How about me?! I missed you.....  
  
Nicky: Melanie, I'm.....sorry! (pause, there's silence, and Melanie just tries to clam herself down) Is anything wrong.....why'd you suddenly call me?  
  
Melanie: Well, I feel so alone.....and I just wanted to talk to somebody?  
  
Nicky: Where's mom?  
  
Melanie: (ignoring his question) (whispers) Dad's back.  
  
Nicky: What?! (pause) What did you say?? Melanie?  
  
(she just stares down at the phone)  
  
Nicky: Melanie, answer me!  
  
~~  
  
I can make it through the rain  
  
I can stand up once again  
  
On my own, And I know that  
  
I'm strong enough to mend  
  
And every time I feel afraid  
  
I hold tighter to my faith and I live one more day  
  
And make it through the rain  
  
~~  
  
Nicky: (quietly) Mel? (pause) He's back?  
  
Melanie: Yes.  
  
Nicky: Why?  
  
Melanie: It's a long story, but I don't really want to talk about it.  
  
Nicky: (sighs) Fine.  
  
Melanie: (pleading) Nicky, why don't you come back?  
  
Nicky: Back? (pause) Home? (pause) No......I'm sorry Mel, but I don't belong there. I would think you would have known by now.  
  
Melanie: Please Nicky....!  
  
Nicky: I'm sorry Mel.  
  
Melanie: You can't just run away like that and just disappear forever! We're your family!!  
  
Nicky: No Mel, a family stays together. We just broke apart a long time ago.....(pause) Just because dad's back doesn't mean we'll be the same as before......(sighs)  
  
Melanie: We're not broken anymore........and it may not be the same right now, but I know that one day it will.  
  
Nicky: One day? Melanie, I am almost 20 years old......when will "one day" happen?? When I'm 30 something and living on my own, raising a family of MY OWN?? (pause) Anyway, I don't think they want me anyway.....you guys don't need me!  
  
Melanie: (shakes her head) Don't say that Nicky......don't EVER say that!  
  
Nicky: What ever Melanie. It wont change a thing. (pause) I miss you Mel, but you should know, if I come back, things will get messed up.  
  
Melanie: (upset) How do you know that?!?!  
  
Nicky: I just know. (pause) Do yourself a favor.....you've got dad back.....and like you said, everything will be back to normal again soon. Just, forget about me. Okay kiddo? (pause) Mel?  
  
(Melanie is crying hard)  
  
Melanie: I dont believe you Nicky....dont you have ANY faith at all??  
  
Nicky: I'm sorry Mel.  
  
Melanie: (whispers, but not really meaning it) I hate you. (she hangs up the phone forcefully and stares at the walls, crying softly. She then looks at the phone and falls face down on the bed, sobbing.)  
  
~~  
  
And if you keep falling down  
  
Dont you dark give in  
  
You will arise safe and sound  
  
So keep pressing on  
  
Steadfastly and you'll find what you need to prevail  
  
Wont you say.....  
  
~~  
  
(we go out to the front porch, where Ross and Rachel are sitting on the porch swing, wet. They're sitting close and just staring out at the pouring rain)  
  
Rachel: (quietly) Did you ever think something like this would ever happen?  
  
Ross: (quietly) No.....not really. (pause) I never thought you would ever forgive me if I came back.....  
  
Rachel: (she looks up at him and rests her head on his shoulder) I never thought I would forgive you either. (pause) But the truth is.....I realised that it wasn't only your fault, and well, I love you so much.  
  
Ross: (stares down at her head) I love you too. (he kisses her on her head and holds her hand. They sit there for a few more minutes in the same positions staring out at the rain. Suddenly, Melanie walks out of the front door and stands in front of them, her eyes red.)  
  
Rachel: Mel! (she sits up, taking her head off Ross' shoulder) What happened?  
  
Melanie: I talked to Nicky.  
  
Rachel: Nicky??  
  
Melanie: yeah. I called him.  
  
Rachel: Well, what happened?  
  
Melanie: I asked him if he could come back.....and he just told me all this stuff, and told me to forget him. And, well, I told him that I hated him and then hung up. (pause, starts to cry again) I don't really hate him.....I just hate the way he views things and views LIFE.  
  
Rachel: (looks at Ross and then down) I'm sorry sweetie.....  
  
Melanie: (shakes her head) It doesn't matter anymore.....  
  
(Rachel leans her head back down on Ross' shoulder and he puts his arm around her. Melanie smiles a bit but she still is crying)  
  
Melanie: (quietly) This morning dad, when I found mom crying in the kitchen, I right away knew what had happened. Truthfully, I never thought I'd see you again. And I felt scared and alone.......but now, you dont know how happy I am to see you. (she smiles at Ross and Ross smiles at her)  
  
(she suddenly turns around and walks down the front porch steps and out into the middle of the front lawn and under the rain. Ross and Rachel just watch her, Rachel looking confused/scared and Ross just smiling slightly. Melanie lifted her head and looked up at the sky. She closed her eyes and felt the cold rain hit her face.  
  
Melanie: (quietly, V/O) Emma? Can you hear me? Where ever you are......everything is fine now. Everything is going to be alright.....but I just wish that you could have been here to see it for yourself. (pause) But I know, that I can make it. Even without anybody by myself, I have mom and dad now.....and we can be a family again. But it wont be the same without you and Nicky.....but at least its part of it.  
  
~~  
  
I can make it through the rain  
  
I can stand up once again  
  
On my own, and I know that I'm strong enough to mend  
  
And every time I feel afraid  
  
I hold tighter to my faith and I live one more day  
  
And I make it through the rain  
  
~~  
  
Melanie turns around and walks back over to the front porch, and as she does, we see Ross and Rachel standing by the front door, waiting for her. As she walks up the front steps, we fade to her walking through a cemetery, looking for a certain grave. She finally stops at one and stares down at it. She bends down and puts some flowers on top of it and then stands up straight again.  
  
Melanie: Hey Em. How are you doing? It's been 3 months since dad came back again and everything has been doing great. I finally feel complete again.....but I do know that what's missing is you and Nicky. But I know that you're in a better place now.....and that you're watching down on me. I just wanted to tell you, that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ever being jealous of you....and maybe sometimes hating you because I was jealous that mom liked you better than me. If I could have one more day with you here and alive, I would take all that back and apologise in your face. But I know you can hear me.......at least I hope you can.  
  
(she pauses, a few tears escaping from her eyes. The wind blows and her hair blows to the side, and gets in her face. The sun was slowly setting, and dark shadows started to appear all around)  
  
Melanie: Well, I have to go now Emma. But I promise to come by more often. Just remember......I love you. And I hope you know that......where ever you are now. I miss you, sis.  
  
(she touches two of her fingers with her lips and then touches the grave stone. She looks down at it one more time and then starts to walk away.)  
  
~~  
  
And when the wind blows  
  
And shadows grow close  
  
Dont be afraid  
  
There's nothing you can't face  
  
And should they tell you, you'll never pull through  
  
Don't hesitate, stand tall and say......  
  
~~  
  
(as she starts to walk away, we go high above and watch as she walks through the cemetery. Then, we can hear her start to talk V/O)  
  
I never did return to the cemetery.....because on that day, I realised that Emma wouldn't want me moping around like that. She would have wanted me to try and do something worthy in my life. I had wasted so many tears in my life.....and I knew that in my years to come, I would shed a whole lot more.....but for now, it was more than enough. I tries calling Nicky again, but unknown people answered, claiming that he had moved, and when ever I wrote to him.....he never wrote back. But I could get through it.....I had gotten through much worse, and I knew that everything would be okay and that I would make it through the rain.  
  
~~  
  
I can make it through the rain  
  
I can stand up once again  
  
On my own, and I know that I'm strong enough to mend  
  
And every time I feel afraid  
  
I hold tighter to my faith and I live one more day  
  
And I make it through the rain  
  
~~  
  
*THE END*  
  
Wow.....I'm done! And I just realised how sad that was!! Heeheehee! Anyway, I really hope you liked that! Please review.....reviews are my life! [after writing fics.....LOL!] Anyway, THANK YOU to EVERYBODY that has reviewed to this fic....I *LOVE* you guys!!!! I hope you enjoyed reading this fic just like I enjoyed writing it!! Bye! 


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